By
Nina Ditoro
This
Valentine’s Day article is dedicated to all the single women out there.
There
is a difference between a wife and a virgin.
The
unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy
both in body and in spirit.
But
she who is married cares about the things of the world – how she may
please her husband.
(I
Cor. 7:34)
I
have always liked Valentine’s Day – oddly enough, perhaps, since I have
never had a boyfriend. My parents have always made it a special day by
giving me some sort of treat and my siblings and I sometimes exchange gifts.
I think one of the main reasons I like Valentine’s Day is because it is
just an exciting break in the middle of the post-holiday, winter blah’s.
Probably
my most memorable Valentine’s Day ever was my freshman year of high
school. I remember in homeroom, I had to listen to two girls sitting next to
me whine and complain because they did not have boyfriends. They thought I
was pretty crazy not to be upset in the least by being in the same situation
myself – I was quite content not to be bothered by a boyfriend in high
school. The most memorable part of the day, however, came at lunch-time. One
of the school clubs had been selling Valentine’s Day balloons for several
weeks prior to the day, to be delivered during homeroom on Valentine’s
Day. As a result, when I walked into the lunchroom, the sight was
breathtaking – there were hundreds of pink, white, and red balloons everywhere.
It was an amazing sight (it obviously does not take much to excite me :) )!
The
point of all this, is that as single women, we should be grateful – not
just in the ways that every faithful child of God should be grateful to Him
for His love, mercy and blessings. We should be grateful to be single.
Married women have so many cares and concerns. Single women have cares and
concerns too, but we also have freedoms that married women do not. There is
so much that we can do for God while we are single that we would not be able
to do if we were married. If we spend this time in bitterness and/or pining
for a husband we will be sinning because:
1.
Our
poor attitudes will consume us and hinder us from being a light for others (Matt
5:16).
2.
We
will be showing our lack of faith in God’s plan for
our lives. It may or may not be God’s will for you to marry someday, but
if you are not married right now, it is obviously not
His will for you to be married right now. He has a plan for
you right now and bitterness will hinder that from being done.
Cease
from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do
not fret – it only causes harm.
(Ps.
37:8)
Trust
in the Lord with all your heart,
And
lean not on your own understanding;
In
all your ways acknowledge Him,
And
He shall direct your paths.
(Prov.
3:5-6)
I
have thought of another reason why it is bad to be full of anger,
frustration, and bitterness during this time in life. I do not plan to marry
(unless it is God’s will). If God does have someone out there for me, I
know he must be wonderful and I feel quite certain that he would not be
attracted to someone whose overall attitude in life is characterized by
bitterness and anger.
These
attitudes can actually delay and prevent God’s will from being done. Why
would God want to give such a rare, Godly man to someone so lacking in faith
for Him? (However, I would add here, that whether it is God’s will for you
to marry or not, a good attitude and willing heart will always be necessary
to truly fulfill God’s plan for your life.)
So,
in conclusion, enjoy this time as a gift from God (every period of life is a
gift from God and should be spent living to His glory). If and when it is
His will for you to marry, it will happen. If you try to force the issue,
you probably will not like the results (like Sarah whose lack of faith in
God’s plan caused problems, not only for herself, but also for most of
mankind ever since). God’s plan is always infinitely better if we will
just have the faith, patience, and right attitude to wait for His will to be
done.
May
He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And
fulfill all your purpose.
(Psalm
20:4)
